CONFOUNDS THE SCIENCE (Parody of Sound of Silence)

A Parody of Sound of Silence – Confounds the Science

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LYRICS to CONFOUNDS THE SCIENCE
(Written by Don Caron – Music by Simon & Garfunkel)

Hello darkness my old friend.
It’s time for him to tweet again,
but first he’ll have to check in with fox news
‘cause that’s the only place he gets his clues.
That’s how things get planted in his brain,
where they remain,
and it confounds the science.

The problem is he’s not alone.
He tweets to people on his phone
that global warming is a giant hoax
perpetuated by the liberal folks,
and he hires people that all think the same,
that play his game
and it confounds the science.

When he talks to crowds of four
he sees ten thousand maybe more,
believing they all think he’s god on earth
and was the product of a virgin birth
and if you disagree you’re the victim of fake news
or feminist shrews
and it confounds the science.

“Fools,” says he, “you do not know
it makes me smart from so much dough.
I know exactly where the problems are.”
But his solutions are beyond bizarre
‘cause his words never quite a sentence make
and thus he spake
and it confounds the science.

No limits on pollution now.
There’s not a thing we don’t allow.
Dump the garbage in the waterway.
Spray the toxins where your children play.
All the signs say that life on the planet is headed for a downward fall.
Go to the mall,
and continue to confound the science.

Copyright 2017 Parody Project

A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE ORIGINAL SONG
Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel

A year later, inspired by the Byrds’ version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” (a Dylan song), Tom Wilson, the producer of the Simon & Garfunkel album decided to release The Sound of Silence again with some amped up guitar parts. This new version was an instant hit. The two got together back in the States and set out to create a follow-up hit, which they did, with “I am a Rock.” Both songs were released on an album titled “Sounds of Silence” in January of 1966.

The creative motivation behind the song has never been completely clarified though there have been many theories put forth in the last fifty years. At the time it was released, there was wide-spread speculation that Sound of Silence was a commentary on the John F. Kennedy assassination since the song was released on the radio only 90 days after he was killed. That theory was debunked by Paul Simon himself, when he pointed out in an interview that he penned the lyrics when he was 21 years old, which was prior to the Kennedy assassination. Simon’s explanation was that he liked to write music in the bathroom, in the dark, with the water running. Thus the opening lyric, “Hello darkness, my old friend.”

According to Art Garfunkel’s version of the story, the original lyric Simon wrote was “Aloha darkness, my old friend.”[Wiki Reference] Garfunkel described the song’s meaning (in the fashion of the times) as a depiction of people’s inability to communicate emotionally, “so what you see around you are people unable to love each other.” [Wiki Reference]

When speaking with Terry Gross (NPR) in a National Public Radio interview, Paul Simon elaborated on how he wrote Sound of Silence while working at his first real music job:

“It was just when I was coming out of college. My job was to take the songs that this huge publishing company owned and go around to record companies and see if any of their artists wanted to record the songs. I worked for them for about six months and never got a song placed, but I did give them a couple of my songs because I felt so guilty about taking their money. Then I got into an argument with them and said, ‘Look, I quit, and I’m not giving you my new song.’ And the song that I had just written was ‘The Sound of Silence.’ I thought, ‘I’ll just publish it myself,’ and from that point on I owned my own songs, so that was a lucky argument.“I think about songs that it’s not just what the words say but what the melody says and what the sound says. My thinking is that if you don’t have the right melody, it really doesn’t matter what you have to say, people don’t hear it. They only are available to hear when the sound entrances and makes people open to the thought. Really the key to ‘The Sound of Silence’ is the simplicity of the melody and the words, which are youthful alienation. It’s a young lyric, but not bad for a 21-year-old. It’s not a sophisticated thought, but a thought that I gathered from some college reading material or something. It wasn’t something that I was experiencing at some deep, profound level – nobody’s listening to me, nobody’s listening to anyone – it was a post-adolescent angst, but it had some level of truth to it and it resonated with millions of people. Largely because it had a simple and singable melody.”

The Parody Project has produced a parody of Sound of Silence and also of the Simon and Garfunkel song “The Boxer,” which has been changed to “The Tweeter (Lie Lie Lie)” to poke some fun at Trump.

163 Responses

Suk Bavier

Statistics helps us understand and describe phenomena in our world
and to assist us draw reliable conclusions about these phenomenahttps://math-problem-solver.com/ . The upper learning journey isn’t
a straightforward one particularly if an individual is involved
with technical points.

Today, I went to the beach front with my kids. I found a sea shell and
gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed.
There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear.
She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!

Ora

I have listened to all the songs by the Parody Project and in my opinion, “The Confounds of Silence” is still the best, though some of the others come close. I never get tired of listening to it and have listened to it at least 10 times.

David Allwright

Donald L'Ecuyer

The power of music! Words that would not have grabbed our attention become viral once put to music. This is exactly what I was attempting to do some 30 years ago when I put MAD magazine texts to music, hoping to produce a show off off Broadway. Here is once such song I made a video with right after the last elections. I thought the message was still very actual. Please enjoy this parody of american elections. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDBgYPfId5U By the way: the author of your lyrics is a Donald – so am I. Since I play al the instruments in my song, I called my band THE DONS.

Bill

He does not care for alternate facts,
For made up news or tweet attacks.
Chorus:
Laundered monies he will find
Your empire’s lifeline is a crime
Chorus:
Putin’s input with your help
Could put the hurt down on your whelp
Chorus:
Con-spir-a-cy is treasonous
Your vaunted win will be your loss
Chorus:
He found a Papadopolous,
Which for Sessions is great loss
Chorus:
He’s stormed the Gates of Manafort
And soon on you he’ll have the dirt
Chorus:
He flipped the Flynn at Christmas time,
So Happy Holliday’s you slime!!!
Chorus:
Impeachment soon is on the way.
Oh, that will do a happy day!

Jennifer Colley

admin

Hi Jennifer, if you copy the URL at the top of this page which looks like this: parodyproject.com/parody-sound-of-silence/ you can paste it into your Facebook comment box which is at the top of your newsfeed.

admin

Deborah H Redman

Pitch perfect. I am bookmarking to listen over and over. A quick go-to happy place in these dark times. I really want to send to old friend who voted for Trump. We were 9 when the original came out. She was going to vote for Bernie, then…Emails. Hillary body bags. Crazy.

As a Brit this confirms my suspicions that you Americans have the greatest sense of humour. Can’t stop laughing. Great video should be played everywhere til it wears out. The world would definately be a happier place. Maybe it would make Kim Jon laugh and stop firing missiles!!!! Thank you for this gift of genius!!! Vanessa

nwwoods

Ursula Dyck

Amazing talent and message of our times. I loved how the female guitar player played, never looking up…a sense of sadness, compassion and earnestness. I loved the male singer, I don’t know his name either. He went right to the core of my soul, lovely rendition of this classic song.

Chinn Tutu

Steven Easley

Not a single person here can name the science, the theories involved, the theories and hypothesis underlying it, the state of confirmation of the theories, the names of the greatest of the scientists or institutions making the link with Anthropologic causes. Not a single one of you can and I will bet you $1,000 you can’t.

John Smith

Anthropogenic Global Warming or Climate Change due to the burning of fossil fuels which has vastly increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere, otherwise know as greenhouse gasses which trap heat by preventing the radiation back into space. Has been confirmed by the vast majority of climatologists, including Gavin Schmidt and David Hansen of NASA GISS. Other institutions which confirm the theory include NOAA and Britain’s Met Office.

Make the check out to me.

Heddie

Love it …. super …
Unlike the physical sciences, sociology (and other social sciences, like anthropology) also often seek simply to understand social phenomena. Max Weber labeled this approach Verstehen, which is German for understanding.

Alex B

I think what Steven meant is that we very seldom speak based on science, or on some kind of rigorous reasoning – mostly I can see here or on majority of networks a speak based on ideology, left or right, which is unfortunate… but parody itself is excellent anyway.

Craig Harris

I buried my parody in the middle of the comments list so am posting it for availability.
Sent it to Colbert Report last week.
Fantastic parody…

Donny Boy (adapted from the original)

Oh, Donny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From Mar-a-Lago, and down Trump Tower side.
The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling,
It’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide.

Do not come ye back when summer’s in the meadow,
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow,
For I’ll be on guard in sunshine or in shadow,
Oh Donny boy, Donny boy, it’s you must go!

But since you’ve come, and all the joy is dying,
And the show is dead, as dead as well may be,
All have come to know that you are lying,
And kneel and say you’re the fake news source you see;

And I shall hear, though soft you tread away from me,
And late my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will leave and none left there shall grieve thee,
But return the peace torn from the land of the free!

Heather Wood

Yelda Miedema

Parody set to the tune of my all-time favourite anthem of the 60’s just doesn’t get any better! The irony is not lost on this geezer that our environment is today under greater threat from the bat-shit crazy, short-fingered vulgarian bent on “getting even” with Obama than at any time since the dawn of the environmental movement in the 60’s when this song first hit the charts. I’m transported back 5 decades in time every time I hear it!

Ziggy

Bo

People everywhere,
Kindly share this “virally” with others you know, around the globe.
The majority of this country’s citizens are sane, sorry, furious and ever more activated, politically.
Word of this we wish to world to hear.
Thanks.

Scott Mooneyham

And the term he was planning is left undone/Congress can’t pass health care repeal/Even McConnell hates him now/Guess to Maro-Lago he’ll steal
And so now you see he has come to doubt/His entire White House staff/Going to have to fire them all/Get Ivanka to do budget and wall-paying math

Scott Mooneyham

I hear the drizzle from his brain/From another Tweet it falls/ harsh and harmful, continuing/Calling for Mexico to build a wall
From the shelter of White House rooms/He speaks not in words but Tweets/Longing for Trump Tower/To where his gold walls keep
His mind is distracted and diffused/Mexico refused to pay for that wall/What will his voters think/When they hear the Mexican prez on that phone call

Jan Chatten-Brown

LaVonne A Bunt

Harvey F

Very funny…..our points of view here seem to be changing a little…not the tweeting, but the actions and accomplishments…
It seems weekly, a scandal comes, then it goes, and the media sensationalizes and then forgets about it the next week. So far, the results, however, have been positive, although the media would have you think differently.

Carol Lee

Granny Judy

TJM

What scares me is not Trump, but the Romp and stomp his supporters dump
What confounds me is not the stupidity of the lot, but the innocence and illiteracy of his flock
What dismays me is not the who we chose to lead, but the size of the basket deplorables can weave.
TJM

Fred Sader

Peggy

John Dunbar

Now that’s a cute little ditty that actually made me laugh. Unfortunately, If the left wing snowflakes are correct about climate change and wildlife loss, then the only solution is to eliminate left wing policies like open immigration and the welfare lifestyle that drastically increase consumption of our world’s natural resources.
Sorry if the truth makes you feel funny in your belly.

Craig Harris

Oh, Donny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From Mar-a-Lago, and down Trump Tower side.
The summer’s gone, and all the roses falling,
It’s you, it’s you must go and I must bide.

Do not come ye back when summer’s in the meadow,
Or when the valley’s hushed and white with snow,
For I’ll be on guard in sunshine or in shadow,
Oh Donny boy, Donny boy, it’s you must go!

But since you’ve come, and all the joy is dying,
And the show is dead, as dead as well may be,
All have come to know that you are lying,
And kneel and say you’re the fake news source you see;

And I shall hear, though soft you tread away from me,
And late my grave will warmer, sweeter be,
For you will leave and none left there shall grieve thee,
But return the peace torn from the land of the free!

Nancy Long

Debra Manette

Carol Vineberg

This paroady is clever and fabulous. I can’t wait to share it. On another note it will be interesting to see how Trump handles the the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey in Texas. He wil probably mess up and blame Obama.

Ah Beng SXI

Bruce Harkins

would like to find out more info about the vocalist and when it was done work on a small community station here in Australia and would like to give it some airplay, any information and permission to play it on air would be appreciated

admin

Hi Bruce, we weren’t expecting such a quick and enormous response so we’re not currently able to address that issue. But we’ll get back to you as soon as we get legal advice on the copyright issues for airplay. Thanks a bunch, Don